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College Press Releases and Wire ServiceWed, 13 Dec 2017 14:42:32 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.13 Ways to Create Compelling College Press Releaseshttp://uwire.com/2017/10/25/3-ways-to-create-compelling-college-press-releases/
http://uwire.com/2017/10/25/3-ways-to-create-compelling-college-press-releases/#commentsWed, 25 Oct 2017 23:11:06 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=287617Crafting compelling press releases is important for increasing your content’s visibility among college students and to make your products and services stand out to this specific audience.

Here are three ways to get started on creating the best college press releases.

1. Pick the perfect title

Keep in mind what college students want and need, and focus on these needs in your press release titles. On the most basic level, students focus on food, money, grades, and a social life. Using a title that includes keywords from these categories will increase the chances that students will be interested in your press release.

Use a short title that quickly tells students how you can meet their needs. If you are offering something to students for free, highlight this in your title; students love freebies! Incorporate numbers and questions in your title to make your release click-worthy.

2. Quickly get to the point

Students tend to read through news items quickly, as they are used to scrolling through large amounts of information in short amounts of time via social media. Summarize your main points in your press release right away in case students simply scan the first paragraph of your release and move on. This way, students will still get the gist of your piece and not miss something important by not reading the entire press release.

Another helpful addition to your press release is utilizing bulleted lists of information, which are short and offer easy-to-read bits of information for busy students. Bullet points will stand out on the page and catch the eye of those simply scanning your press release.

3. Include graphics and multimedia elements

Using appropriate graphics and multimedia elements increases the readability of your press release. Students don’t respond to text-heavy articles, but they do like photos, videos, charts/graphs, and infographics. Students read enough for their classes. Chunking your information into smaller bits broken up by multimedia elements will increase the chance that students read your press release.

Using these elements also increases the chance that someone will link to your content and adds value to your page for search engines.

[pexels.com]

]]>http://uwire.com/2017/10/25/3-ways-to-create-compelling-college-press-releases/feed/0Authenticity, Transparency, Impact: What College Students Wanthttp://uwire.com/2017/09/21/authenticity-transparency-impact-what-college-students-want/
http://uwire.com/2017/09/21/authenticity-transparency-impact-what-college-students-want/#commentsThu, 21 Sep 2017 14:59:08 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=285901Trying to get your message across to college students? Try incorporating the following three ideas behind what college students really want to see in your advertising.

1. Authenticity

College students are smart; they can tell when you are trying too hard or not hard enough to get their attention. Technology and especially social media make it hard to hide from millennials. As Matthew Tyson points out in his article on the Huffington Post, “millennials know you see their comments, messages, and photo posts” and they also “know you can see when you’re tagged, mentioned, or liked.”

Rather than ignore these updated modes of communication, start responding and engaging with students. Let students know you care and show who you are in your comments and posts. In addition, don’t try too hard when it comes to relating to the college student audience. You don’t have to be like millennials to offer them products and services that align with their needs, you just need to know how to be real with these students and treat them based on what they value.

2. Transparency

The best way to communicate to college students who you are and what you’re doing is to be as straightforward in your marketing as possible. Going for anything gimmicky could be perceived as phony or insincere by students who tend to distrust advertisements from the getgo. Students want to know what goes on behind closed doors. How was your product made? How will it benefit them? Why should they buy your product and why do they really need it?

According to Geoff Williams from Entrepreneur, “college students are often critical thinkers and wary about advertising.” Don’t get too caught up in creating grandiose advertisements with no information to back up your product.

3. Impact

Ads on TV, radio, and in magazines may be out when it comes to targeting this millennial group, as students now more commonly use online and streaming services instead of traditional media. But, something that might work for this audience is a focus on corporate values, according to an article in Adweek by Katie Richards. The article claimed students are more responsive to brands that give back to the community and which follow responsible business practices.

So, consider how your brand is making an impact and allow students to see this, whether that is on the environment, on a social issue, etc. You may just find that the best advertising for this demographic is simply showing you care about other causes.

]]>http://uwire.com/2017/09/21/authenticity-transparency-impact-what-college-students-want/feed/04 Ways to Turn a College Campus Into a Company Advertisementhttp://uwire.com/2017/08/23/college-campuses-advertisement/
http://uwire.com/2017/08/23/college-campuses-advertisement/#commentsWed, 23 Aug 2017 18:23:11 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=284355

One of the best ways to reach college students is to meet them where they are: on campus. There are many ways to turn your target colleges and universities into one huge advertisement for your company — below are four of them!

1. Sidewalk chalk/flyers

Add some color to campus with sidewalk chalk and flyers. Create vibrant, interesting flyers advertising your company and your product and/or services to catch students’ attention as they pass by campus bulletin boards on the way to class. Or, consider grabbing some sidewalk chalk and take to the main areas of campus to draw up some clever ground advertisements. Students will walk over these artistic ads on their way to class and look up your company out of curiosity. Consider adding your social media handles to your chalk creation.

Make sure to get permission from the proper campus authorities before chalking or flyering! This is also a fun task for your company interns, especially if you hope to advertise on their campus! They know all the best spots on campus and can better ensure the flyers and chalkings are seen.

2. Sponsor student events

College students love to attend off-campus events, but a large majority of students may not have cars on campus or may have classes they cannot miss. So, consider meeting students where they are and sponsor some on-campus student events over a few hours or for the entire day; this allows students to attend your event in between their classes and to stop by to see what’s going on on their way to or from work or school.

Consider playing music and setting up some games. Also, offer students free or discounted food and drinks, coupons, and possible samples of your products. Teaming up with a food truck or other companies can make your event larger and attract more attention. Make sure to advertise the event on social media and work with the college campus to get the word out.

3. Give out freebies

Instead of hosting your own on-campus event, attend some annual campus events such as beginning-of-the-semester involvement fairs or other similar events. Set up your own table and use word of mouth to advertise your business. Bring along some freebies to pass out during the event. This way, when students use or wear your products around campus, you gain free advertising!

Some freebies to consider are t-shirts, coffee mugs, pens, flash drives, tote bags, notebooks, stickers, and more. Any type of product you can put your name and logo on is fair game. Remember to bring along some vibrant signs or free food/candy to pass out to attract students to your table.

4. Campus media ads

It never hurts to go the traditional route when trying to turn a college campus into one huge advertisement. Hit up campus media and place ads in college newspapers (in print and online), in campus magazines, and on campus TV stations. Perhaps you could get a spot during a student radio show or at a sporting event. Anytime you can get your name in front of students puts you on the radar of your target audience.

]]>http://uwire.com/2017/08/23/college-campuses-advertisement/feed/0How to Make Marketing to College Students Cost-Effectivehttp://uwire.com/2017/06/26/how-to-make-marketing-to-college-students-cost-effective/
http://uwire.com/2017/06/26/how-to-make-marketing-to-college-students-cost-effective/#commentsMon, 26 Jun 2017 11:03:55 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=282495Though college students are infamous for their empty wallets, this population still spends a lot of money on products and services they find important and valuable. One of the notable aspects of marketing to college students is that they respond to grassroots marketing messages as opposed to flashy ads, saving you money while building up your consumer base.

Here are three ways to make marketing to the college student audience cost-effective.

1. On-campus ads

Cost-effective marketing can prove as easy as getting on campus and doing some low-budget advertising. For instance, college students talk to each other a lot, so word of mouth marketing goes a long way with this audience. Give students something exciting to discuss about your products or services and initiate some free marketing.

Use free tactics like sidewalk chalk to create ads on campus, or post flyers on campus bulletin boards to catch the attention of students. Or, buy some advertising space in your nearest college or university newspaper or TV station to reach college students at low costs.

2. Social media

Whether on the way to class, during class, or in between classes, college students eat up social media. Most college students have profiles on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Thus, creating a voice and building your brand on these sites becomes important when trying to reach college students.

Social media marketing is extremely effective for this audience and advertising on these platforms is affordable and valuable. Host competitions through social media to drum up a conversation, advertise your campus events, and spread the word that college students need what you are offering.

3. Guerilla marketing

In an article from The Huffington Post, Shawn Prez discusses how guerrilla marketing has a strong impact on driving sales and brand awareness while utilizing minimal resources.

According to Prez, guerilla marketing “focuses on non-traditional tactics, using various brand ambassadors to interact one on one in a very intimate way ([like] being on the ground).”

In other words, get on campus! Hire student ambassadors or representatives to do your marketing for you. Talk to college students where they eat, sleep, and play, and show them why they need your brand to amp up or survive their college experience. These cost-effective tactics will save you money while spreading the word about your business.

]]>http://uwire.com/2017/06/26/how-to-make-marketing-to-college-students-cost-effective/feed/0Marketing Focus: What Millennial College Students Valuehttp://uwire.com/2017/05/25/marketing-focus-what-millennial-college-students-value/
http://uwire.com/2017/05/25/marketing-focus-what-millennial-college-students-value/#commentsThu, 25 May 2017 22:32:30 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=281945

Each new generation of people encompasses certain characteristics and holds different core values dear depending on what they find important and meaningful. Millennials are no different when it comes to valuing specific things in life as compared to other generations. In marketing to college students, it is often an effective idea to incorporate millennial values in order to stand out to this audience.

Here are a few things millennial college students value that might change the way you market to this group.

Experience

An article on Inc. claimed the number one thing millennials value is experience. A Harris Poll showed 78 percent of Millennials would rather spend money on an experience they wanted to have over an item they wanted. Students would rather spend money on an experience than something they wanted to buy, like a car or brand-name clothing. Experiences allow students to make memories, as well as shape students as people.

Because millennials find happiness in what they experience, you can better target this audience by promoting the experiences behind your products and services more than the products themselves. If you show millennials the types of memories they can make with your product, they could be more likely to buy into your company or organization.

Connection

Millennials are highly connected to the world around them. The evolution of the internet, Wi-Fi, laptops, smartphones, and other technologies enable millennials to instantly and constantly access news, entertainment, friends, strangers, and more. More millennials than not own a smartphone and many use the internet as their main source for information and news.

This form of hyper-connection makes millennials one of the easiest audiences to reach from a marketing standpoint; to start, simply increase your online presence and stay active online, through social media, and on mobile to stay connected to millennials.

[pexels.com]

Change

According to an article on Gallup, millennials also value change and unrestraint. Millennial college students work to find change in the marketplace and the workplace, rather than simply accepting things for the way they have always been. This group wants to be approached differently, with their ideal customer experience involving more digital channels. Millennials value new and exciting things that allow them to change the way they approach their studies, their jobs, and their social lives. When you can somehow include the concept of change in what you are trying to express, you will better capture the attention of millennials.

Add these three ideas into your press release and submit to UWire.com to start hooking millennial college students today!

]]>http://uwire.com/2017/05/25/marketing-focus-what-millennial-college-students-value/feed/0How to Market Your Startup to College Studentshttp://uwire.com/2017/04/24/how-to-market-your-startup-to-college-students/
http://uwire.com/2017/04/24/how-to-market-your-startup-to-college-students/#commentsMon, 24 Apr 2017 14:02:03 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=280580Do you have an awesome startup you want college students to know about? Here are some ways to market your startup to college students.

1. Get on campus

One of the best ways to spread news to college students is through word of mouth. Get on college campuses and start talking about your startup. Consider visiting classes to speak about how to start a business, and include discussion about the services you offer. Participate in any on-campus fairs to promote your startup and offer free products like cups and hats that equate to free advertising for you.

2. Involve students

College students keep an eye out for jobs, especially part-time job opportunities they can fit in between classes. Consider hiring a few students to serve as student ambassadors for your start-up and have them hand out samples of your product at events and popular campus spots. Student brand managers will help you spread the word. Or, consider getting in touch with a few student organizations (like fraternities or sororities) and see what kind of partnership you can establish for promoting your products.

3. Keep student budgets in mind

College students are typically limited on funds, so try marketing your products and services that fit best within their scarce budgets. Offer student discounts to show students you understand their plight, or host contests or giveaways to help students earn your products for free. For instance, you could have students share a photo of themselves using your product on campus, or have them follow all of your social media pages. Students tend to seek out deals and flock towards businesses offering high-quality products and services that suit their budget.

[pixabay.com]

4. Use the internet

Utilize targeted ads on social media to reach your specific college student audience (Greek life students, international students, male or female students, etc). Develop a creative, interactive voice through platforms like Facebook and Twitter and grow your college student audience over time. Create press releases about your startup to digitally introduce your products and services to students. The internet offers many ways to market your startup!

After you create your press release, submit to UWire.com to start reaching college students today!

]]>http://uwire.com/2017/04/24/how-to-market-your-startup-to-college-students/feed/04 Ways to Craft College Press Release Titleshttp://uwire.com/2017/03/30/4-ways-to-craft-college-press-release-titles/
http://uwire.com/2017/03/30/4-ways-to-craft-college-press-release-titles/#commentsThu, 30 Mar 2017 17:46:09 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=278123Ah, the supreme mystery and intricacies of the college student mind, like a twisting and turning, unknown labyrinth. Grabbing college students’ attention depends on your understanding of their needs, wants, and deepest desires – as well as a catchy press release title.

Follow these tips to writing college press release titles that will attract the college student audience.

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1. Remember what college students need

Though there are many things students want, they first must focus on their needs. Most basically, these include food, money, grades, and a social life. If what you are offering metes one of these needs, students will start to pay attention. Offering any way to meet these needs for free gives you bonus points (free food, free apps, etc.)!

2. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point

Use one sentence or less in your press release to tell students what you are offering and how it meets their needs. Students constantly scroll through the internet and social media pages in between (or during!) classes or work. Students decide in an instant whether or not something is worth their time, and so it is important to capture and hold their interest quickly with your title.

3. Be honest and transparent

Though you want to create an appealing title to get students to read your press release, stay true to what you are really offering. College students value transparency in marketing, and dislike deceptive marketers bombarding them with ads. Don’t use words like free if you really mean that students have to pay to use your app, or mislead students with stats that could mean multiple things.

4. Make it shareable

Titles are the first thing people notice when they scroll through social media or online news pages. These are what draw people in and cause them to click and read your content. The more interesting and engaging your title is, the more likely it will be shared by students via their social media pages. Make your title click-worthy by incorporating elements such as numbers and questions.

Time to gain a following! Write up your press release, give it a catchy title, and submit to UWire.com.

]]>http://uwire.com/2017/03/30/4-ways-to-craft-college-press-release-titles/feed/0The Multimedia Elements Students Want to See in Your Press Releasehttp://uwire.com/2017/02/27/the-multimedia-elements-students-want-to-see-in-your-press-release/
http://uwire.com/2017/02/27/the-multimedia-elements-students-want-to-see-in-your-press-release/#commentsMon, 27 Feb 2017 12:05:49 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=276309As a child, which books did you prefer to read: the heavy text-laden tomes or the colorful, bright, and fun stories filled mostly with pictures and interactive elements? More than likely, your eye caught the pages of the latter.

The same is true today. Which type of articles do you find yourself reading online? According to business.com, when you publish an article with an image, you receive 94 percent more views than when you publish a text-only piece. Thinking back to the children’s book idea, this makes sense; using media in anything makes it more intriguing and interesting, adding something else to look at or watch on the page.

[pexels.com]

So why should you add multimedia to your press release? Morevisibility.com offers up how using multimedia adds value to your content marketing, including:

•Increasing user engagement

•Breaking up text, making it easier to read

•Helping your content perform better on social media

•Adding value to your pages for search engines

•Increasing the likelihood someone will link to your content

What types of multimedia can you add to your press release for UWire? Try one of the following options.

1. Photos

Perhaps one of the easiest options to add to your post is a photo. Consider including a photo that highlights your product or service. Even better — use pictures of college students using your product or service. Use photos unique to your company rather than stock photos to really grab students’ attention.

2. Videos

Have you created a video highlighting what you are all about? Add the video or a link to the video in your press release! Students love watching videos, as they add an interactive element to your text and paint a better picture of what your company represents. If you don’t have a video, create one! Try to include college students to better connect with your audience.

3. Infographics

Sometimes all it takes is an infographic to catch someone’s attention. Infographics prove visually stimulating and unique, capturing the attention of younger consumers. Numerous designs now exist for creating infographics. According to business.com, the brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than plain text — which basically means adding visual elements to your press release is great for the on-the-go college student that only wants to spend a few minutes reading your release.

4. Charts/Graphs

Expand on your points in the good old fashioned way: through charts and graphs. These visual elements break up your text and change what you are saying into an attention-grabbing image. Show your data or highlight important attributes about your product or service with a chart or graph. Use charts and graphs to show trends and patterns in a gripping, visually stimulating way.

]]>http://uwire.com/2017/02/27/the-multimedia-elements-students-want-to-see-in-your-press-release/feed/08 Words College Students Respond Tohttp://uwire.com/2017/01/29/8-words-college-students-respond-to/
http://uwire.com/2017/01/29/8-words-college-students-respond-to/#commentsSun, 29 Jan 2017 16:45:42 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=273902College students represent a vastly unique group of people from different backgrounds, values, and belief systems. However, there are a few things college students can agree on, such as the importance of saving time and money.

Use the following eight words in your marketing strategy to get college students to respond.

1. Free

The image of the poor, broke college student living on Ramen noodles and never having enough quarters for laundry likely enters your mind here. However, there is some truth to this, as college students pay buckets of money for tuition, room and board, and other fees. Students love free things, whether that is free food, a free product, or even free advice. Using the word “free” will grab and hold college students’ attention.

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2. Discount/Save

Similarly, any use of the words “discount” or “save” will catch the eye of the busy, penniless college student. College students strive to save money to pay back their student loans and to get started on their after-graduation housing funds. The second best thing to “free” to a college student is a discounted price for products and services. Students also love saving time — between classes, jobs, internships and social activities, this is a busy bunch!

3. Hacks

Speaking of saving time, students appreciate advice or tips on how to get things done quickly or more effectively. “Hacks” indicate to students that they are about to learn how to do something in a new way, meaning they can use their time for something they would rather do. For instance, the phrase “study hacks,” indicates a student will learn how to study more efficiently; “apartment maintenance hacks,” could mean they will learn how to unclog their sink using minimal tools.

4. Scholarship/Awards Program

Scholarships help students pay for part of (or all of, in some cases) their school tuition, saving students both time and money. Students like finding new scholarship and award program opportunities where they can compete with other students to win some funds for their education. Words like “awards” and “scholarship” signal to students the chance to win some free money or other prizes.

5. Paid/Job

Lastly, students hunt for jobs and internships throughout the duration of their college experience. Paid internships grab the most attention, as these tend to be rare for many students who end up settling for unpaid opportunities to bulk up their resume. Any paid opportunities allow students to gain experience while learning valuable skills for the future. Students are always on the hunt for the word “job,” scouring the internet for part-time and full-time opportunities.

Now that you know some words college students respond to, create the perfect press release targeted towards college students and submit to UWire.com!

]]>http://uwire.com/2017/01/29/8-words-college-students-respond-to/feed/03 Ways to Get Your Name in Front of College Studentshttp://uwire.com/2016/12/31/3-ways-to-get-your-name-in-front-of-college-students/
http://uwire.com/2016/12/31/3-ways-to-get-your-name-in-front-of-college-students/#commentsSat, 31 Dec 2016 21:55:37 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=272169Your mission: to capture and hold the attention of college students everywhere.

This generation of college student millennials likes to spend money on items or brands they appreciate and connect to. However, before they can buy the product, they need to know you exist! Here are three ways to get your name and brand in front of college students.

1. Face-to-face

Sure, students love to use technology and stay updated on all social media channels. But, sometimes the best way to reach college students is through face-to-face marketing. Get on campus to engage college students directly and to get them involved! Hire some on-campus brand advisors to represent you and get them to start chatting with students.

Create special events and campaigns that directly involve students, such as contests where students can win your product by completing tasks, or campus parties featuring your products and services. Stay in close contact with student organizations relevant to your brand and use these groups for help with spreading the word about your company. Partner with universities for on-campus events where you can hand out your product and put your name in front of students. Developing a strong presence on a college campus ensures students will know about you.

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2. Social engagement

By now you are likely already represented on various social media channels (and if not, it’s time to develop your strong online presence). Use social media to help you promote events and campaigns to students by posting compelling content to build anticipation and excitement. Encourage your student followers to post about your events and products on their social media channels as a way to spread the word about your brand even further. Students trust their fellow students and want to know what they like and connect with, and so the more students post about you, the more your campaign extends beyond your company reach. Recognize that simply creating a social media account and gaining followers achieves only so much on its own — the engagement with your consumers and their engagement with each other is where it counts.

3. Freebies and discounts

If there is one thing students love to do it is to save money. Offer students discounts and freebies whenever possible to spread your name across campus. Going on campus for an event? Bring along some pens, bags or other swag with your brand name published on the product. Students love free swag, and when they use the products, other students will see your name and remember you. Campus-wide events bring thousands of students to you — all you have to do is show up and entice students to your table with coupons or other goodies! Think useful and small items like flash drives or drink holders; don’t feel like you have to spend a fortune on freebies. Students will love the thought of anything being free, giving you some easy marketing tools as students carry their new tote bag or use their new cup in their dorm.

Ready to get your name out there? Create the perfect press release targeted towards college students and submit to UWire.com!

]]>http://uwire.com/2016/12/31/3-ways-to-get-your-name-in-front-of-college-students/feed/03 Ways an Intern Can Help You Reach College Studentshttp://uwire.com/2016/11/30/3-ways-an-intern-can-help-you-reach-college-students/
http://uwire.com/2016/11/30/3-ways-an-intern-can-help-you-reach-college-students/#commentsWed, 30 Nov 2016 15:09:33 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=271432Do you have a product or service that is perfect for college students, but lack the best way to market to this audience? Here is some simple advice: why not ask one of them?

College students need internships, and hiring a college student intern to help you with marketing to this audience is a win-win situation for a student and your company. Here are three ways an intern can help you reach your desired audience.

1. College interns speak the language.

Why reinvent the wheel? College students already speak the language of the demographic you are targeting, so consider creating one or two college internship positions for members of that audience. College interns are in large supply, as 80 percent of students intern at least once in college and 50 percent intern twice or more, according to a blog post on Kissmetrics.com. Students seek out internships year-round and are always looking for opportunities to share their knowledge.

Because college students know other college students, have your college intern run a blog for your company that will be of interest to their peers. Interns can pick topics college students would relate to and relate these topics to your products and services. Or, have your interns help you come up with the perfect marketing language to target students. This will be a great experience for your intern and leave you with a helpful, targeted product to model when your intern leaves.

Image via pexels.com

2. College interns can spread the word.

Texting, tweeting, talking in class: college interns are always connected to their peers through a variety of platforms, both online and offline. Turn your intern into a sort of brand representative and encourage them to discuss your products and services with their peers. Your interns can practice their marketing skills by creating flyers and digital media projects about your organization or company to share with their campus. Students can also take some time to make announcements about your company and product during class, as long as it is relevant to their peers.

Interns love and crave real world experience, so the more projects you can give them (within reason, of course), the better! Interns can create public service announcements, videos, memes, press releases, and more that target college students in order to help spread the word about your company and what you stand for. Using the language of the college student and spreading the word about you, interns will work hard to make sure students know who you are.

3. College interns know social media.

Does your company or organization have social media accounts? Social media is one of the best ways to reach the college student market, as most college students are on at least one type of social media. An article from Modo Labs claimed about 90 percent of young adults used social media in 2015, a 78 percent increase from the 12 percent using social media back in 2005. A Pew study found 82 percent of students use Facebook and about 55 percent use Instagram. Twitter attracts approximately 32 percent of students.

So, what does all of this online usage mean for you? It means if you are not on social media you are missing out on a large chunk of your target audience. College interns can help you set up new social media accounts and share content that is meaningful and fun for their peers. Or, they can transform your current social media accounts into lively, interactive pages that college students will flock to. Regardless, giving an intern some time to play around with your company’s social media sites could help you better target your audience.

So, get out there and recruit an intern to get some firsthand college student perspective. Their first project? Write the perfect targeted press release to submit to UWire.com!

College students prove a difficult market to target when you do not understand what they need and desire.

To sell a product, you need knowledge about your audience, as the more you know, the more effective marketing strategies you can create. Simply put, you cannot market to a group that you do not understand; rather, you need to understand what makes your audience tick in order to successfully reach them on their level.

via stocksnap.io

So, let’s take a look at what matters to a millennial.

Transparency

Millennials yearn for transparency and dialog with their products, according to Mashable.com. Students like to know about the company they choose to purchase from by learning about the company’s mission and seeing how that mission is met.

Millennials want to know when they are making an impact, whether that is by purchasing a product where the proceeds are donated to a charity or by supporting a company that donates a similar product to someone in need when purchases are made. They like to know what they are getting in their products and services, and they expect companies and organizations to be honest and straight-forward about what they are truly offering.

Experience

More than previous generations, millennials feel more attached to experiences than products, making understanding the lifestyle of a millennial more important than understanding that of generations past. Millennial college students look for products and services that will influence and leave a lasting impression on their way of life.

Mashable suggests focusing not on the age of the millennials when thinking about your products, but rather, understanding the lifestyle your product supports and marketing towards experience. A blogpost on RackSpace suggested offering engaging experiences — such as festivals, challenges, concerts and contests — alongside products to create the kind of experiences millennials can remember and associate back to the product.

Authenticity

According to an article from HubSpot, millennials trust what they feel is authentic. Millennial college students’ attitudes are inspired by people they know in person or online, and they trust the authentic opinions from real product users they can relate to. This generation likes to consume reviews of products and services before fully investing in something. So how do you create a brand millennials will see as authentic?

The HubSpot article suggests using millennial language to push across messages that warrant comfort and trust. Using words your consumers would use themselves helps them see your brand as authentic and helps you to create a strong relationship with your audience. Rackspace similarly offered up this piece of advice: millennials want brands that have a human face, which most basically means writing content in a conversational voice and being honest about what you are selling.

Now that you have a better idea behind what matters to millennials when it comes to their consumer habits, it’s time to create the perfect targeted press release to submit to UWire.com!

]]>http://uwire.com/2016/10/31/college-marketing-3-things-that-matter-to-a-millennial/feed/05 PR Strategies To Steal From “Once Upon A Time”http://uwire.com/2016/09/29/5-pr-strategies-to-steal-from-once-upon-a-time/
http://uwire.com/2016/09/29/5-pr-strategies-to-steal-from-once-upon-a-time/#commentsThu, 29 Sep 2016 14:31:37 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=263983Season 6 of the ABC fantasy-drama “Once Upon a Time” debuted on Sept. 25, bringing new stories, characters and themes into the mix. As I watched the premiere episode, I started thinking back on the show’s recurring themes and how they proved eerily similar to public relations.

And thus I present: 5 PR Strategies to Steal from “Once Upon a Time.”

[pexels.com]

1. Know your audience.

A common way to find success in the “Once Upon a Time” world is to know your audience. The character that best exemplifies this is Rumpelstiltskin (Rumple), a man who has a hand in almost every story in the show throughout all time. Rumple knows how to get what he wants by knowing what the other characters desire. Making deals with them, Rumple is able to get his way by offering the other characters something they want or need.

Similarly, if you know what college students need, you can use this knowledge to help promote your products and services to them. Knowing your audience is key to branding, marketing and overall success.

2. Be the hero.

You have to believe in what you are selling and advertising. If you don’t, you will likely be unsuccessful in your endeavors.

Take Emma Swan’s character in “Once Upon a Time.” Emma struggles to believe in magic and her own powers at first, feeling she is not worthy enough to be the so-called “Savior.” This character is the main hero in “Once,” and Emma cannot believe that she is the person to fit this role. However, only when she starts believing in herself is she successful — a strong strategy to take way when it comes to PR.

So, be the hero and have faith that what you are offering is the best out there.

3. Research, research, research.

“Once Upon a Time” throws its characters into missions of all sorts, as the heroes battle villains to save the day in almost every episode. When the heroes need to learn how to defeat their enemy, they do research on the villain to learn their weaknesses and strengths. The show often finds the heroes in the town library doing this research, with the character Belle typically leading the charge.

Research will help you understand your audience, and to assess what they are looking for. Millennials have different needs from older or younger groups of people, and researching what these needs are will help you offer products and services they will go crazy for.

4. Recover quickly from mistakes.

Almost all of the heroes and villains from “Once Upon a Time” have made a few mistakes — some worse than others. However, the key is to learn from the mistake and move on without dwelling on the past. The past five seasons of “Once” have shown characters getting involved in sticky situations and growing from these to develop into stronger people and to win the day.

The key to making mistakes is moving forward. So your social media post didn’t receive too much attention this go around; learn from what you did and move forward for next time, making different decisions in an effort to improve your audience engagement. If there is anything that we can pull from “Once Upon a Time” in terms of PR it is that you cannot grow into something greater without a few bumps along the way.

5. Meet students where they are.

“Once Upon a Time” transports characters into foreign lands nearly every episode. From Oz to the Land of Untold Stories (and even to Hell), the characters meet new faces and encounter new customs constantly. The key to forming strong relationships with these other characters and to survive in these lands is to meet the foreign characters on their level.

This lesson proves true for PR as well. Meeting college students where they are is a great way to make yourself more relatable to this audience. Use language they will understand and appreciate, and create a brand they can relate to. Meeting students on their level is a great way to show you care about their needs and want to develop a relationship with them.

]]>http://uwire.com/2016/09/29/5-pr-strategies-to-steal-from-once-upon-a-time/feed/04 Ways to Grab College Students’ Attentionhttp://uwire.com/2016/08/30/4-ways-to-grab-college-students-attention/
http://uwire.com/2016/08/30/4-ways-to-grab-college-students-attention/#commentsTue, 30 Aug 2016 14:20:35 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=260269The college student population is a fantastic, diverse group with specific needs and wants. Marketing to college students can be hard as you compete for their attention with their school duties and responsibilities. Consider the following four things to focus on that can help you grab college students’ attention.

1. Focus on: Technology!

Colleges experience a large amount of turnover, as students typically take about four to five years to graduate. Students are constantly arriving and leaving, meaning you have a whole new crop of students to impress every semester.

Additionally, many students — especially at community colleges — commute to campus, meaning they really only come to campus for class and then go home. So, while you could go on campus to display your products, an easier and more efficient way to reach students is via technology.

[Image via pixabay.com]

Advertising to students via social media, email and blogs is a great way to get your product or event in front of them. Students spend countless hours on the Internet, scouring the web throughout the day. Going mobile will allow you more access to more students.

2. Focus on: Social Media!

As their professor drones on and on, students struggle to pay attention and stay awake in class. So, what do they turn to? Social media! Students constantly check their newsfeeds on Facebook and Twitter, send snaps to friends via Snapchat, and document their meals over Instagram.

Because students cannot stop scrolling through their social media accounts, this avenue is the perfect marketing tool for reaching them. Set up accounts for your company and start advertising what you have to offer.

Homework, exams, rent, part-time jobs, clubs, food, and friends: students get pulled in so many directions with tons to pay attention to. That leaves little time for looking at much else, so you want to create advertising that is interesting enough for students to spend time reading.

Humor goes a long way with students, as it is interesting and entertaining. Students are more likely to share the ad with someone else if they find it was worth their time. Think about how students like to share funny memes online or how they read articles with funny titles.

4. Focus on: The Parents!

Targeting college students is your goal, but sometimes students do not have the money to buy what you’re selling. Who typically funds the student experience? The parents! Consider targeting your marketing towards parents of students, who will likely pass on the information to their child.

[Image via pixabay.com]

If parents find an event or see a product they think their college student would enjoy, they will likely buy it for them or encourage them to attend. With this type of marketing, consider using language directed towards a mature audience and explain how your event or product benefits college students.

]]>http://uwire.com/2016/08/30/4-ways-to-grab-college-students-attention/feed/0The Changing Face of the Fashion Industry is on YouTubehttp://uwire.com/2013/10/14/the-changing-face-of-the-fashion-industry-is-on-youtube/
http://uwire.com/2013/10/14/the-changing-face-of-the-fashion-industry-is-on-youtube/#commentsMon, 14 Oct 2013 12:22:40 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=174172ALM (or aLine Media) is a new media first PR firm that is looking at social media celebrities to be the fashion spokeswomen of tomorrow. Coming in at #2 on our list of most popular public relations firms on social media, ALM has used partnerships with the biggest influencers on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to give its clients the most exposure across the web. Here’s how Kenn Henman, the President of aLine Media told me they do it:

For your clients, which social networks have been the most effective for PR?

YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

How do you go about handling a social media PR campaign? Do you guide your client or take control and run their accounts?

We manage all aspects of their social media, however we emphasize the importance to our clients to post as well (especially Instagram).

What advice would you give to potential clients or other PR professionals when it comes to using social media for a public relations campaign?

Have a plan. We outline 90 day strategies and update every new quarter.

What do you think sets your company apart from your competitors?

We represent some of the top social media influencers in the industry. Having these strong relationships allows us to understand the market better than our competitors.

Do you have any social media success stories you’d like to share?

One of aLine’s clients is Heart Defensor, whose YouTube name is ThatsHeart. With a total social reach of more than 1 million, she was recently sponsored to attend New York Fashion Week by cosmetics giant Maybelline and attended the shows of BCBGMaxAzria, Mara Hoffman, Richard Chai, Hervé Léger and Elle Fashion Next. For the latter, she conducted red-carpet interviews with Elle magazine Editor-in-Chief Robbie Myers and Creative Director Joe Zee, as well as fashion journalist Louise Roe.

“As we all know, there are only so many chairs they can line up along the runway, and now these girls are squeezing the traditional fashion matrons out,” says Kenn Henman. “The fashion perspective is changing; the shoppers of today and tomorrow are looking for a fresh look and up-to-the-minute style, and the social-media influencers are the ones delivering.” - Excerpt from a blog post by Sarah Humphreys

If you know a PR firm who would like to offer their social media advice to other professionals, leave a comment or contact info@uwire.com to let us hear about it.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/10/14/the-changing-face-of-the-fashion-industry-is-on-youtube/feed/0From Awareness to Advocacy: How Text100 Leads Audiences on a Journeyhttp://uwire.com/2013/10/14/from-awareness-to-advocacy-how-text100-leads-audiences-on-a-journey/
http://uwire.com/2013/10/14/from-awareness-to-advocacy-how-text100-leads-audiences-on-a-journey/#commentsMon, 14 Oct 2013 12:00:10 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=176128This week, we heard from Jeremy Woolf, Senior Vice President and Global Digital/Social Media Lead at Text100 who came in at #16 on our list of the top PR firms on social media this year. Jeremy gave us some insight into how Text100 works with their clients, and how they use social media as part of the journey they take audiences on.

For your clients, which social networks have been the most effective for PR?

We’ve seen great success working with LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. We’ve also done great work creating and driving our clients’ blogs. While blogs aren’t typically as social as the other networks, they’ve proven to be an important platform for thought leadership, with the posts amplified through social networks and used as catalysts for discussion.

How do you go about handling a social media PR campaign? Do you guide your client or take control and run their accounts?

It’s a mix. Our team gets involved in client campaigns at several levels – from research, concept development, strategy and planning, to content production and development, community management, analytics and measurement. We’ll happily manage the entire process on behalf of our clients, and/or also act as advisors as they manage their own social properties and campaigns.

What advice would you give when it comes to using social media for a public relations campaign?

Don’t treat social as a campaign. Social media is a commitment to participating in, joining, building and sustaining an active community. You also need to consider social media in the proper context. It isn’t a strategy. There’s no one size fits all approach. Each platform is evolving regularly and so should your strategy. It’s not about being on every platform, it’s about being on the right platforms for your brand and managing those well.

How would you recommend that a client handles a big screw up on social media

Respond quickly through the channel that the issue broke in. Be honest and true to your brand’s values. Create an owned content channel that supports your side of the story with evidence. And finally, don’t feed the trolls.

What do you think sets your company apart from your competitors?

Text100 understands the entire audience journey, from awareness through to advocacy. We put the audience at the center of all of our campaigns. And we recognize that decisions are shaped by many different types of content through diverse media channels – paid, owned, earned and social. These channels need to work together to help our audience reach specific points of action.

If you know a PR firm who would like to offer their social media advice to other professionals, leave a comment or contact info@uwire.com to let us hear about it.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/10/14/from-awareness-to-advocacy-how-text100-leads-audiences-on-a-journey/feed/0Interview with Natasha Koifman of NKPRhttp://uwire.com/2013/10/07/interview-with-natasha-koifman-of-nkpr/
http://uwire.com/2013/10/07/interview-with-natasha-koifman-of-nkpr/#commentsMon, 07 Oct 2013 12:11:55 +0000adminhttp://uwire.com/?p=173945As social media has become an increasingly important part of public relations, most of the best firms out there have learned to adjust. NKPR is no exception, and that’s probably why they landed at number 15 on our list of the top PR firms on social media this year. We asked Natasha Koifman and her team at NKPR to let us hear how they do social media, and what sets them apart as a brand.

For your clients, which social networks have been the most effective for PR?

At NKPR, we develop tailored strategies for each client that we represent from lifestyle to non-profit and corporate sectors. Based on their objectives and target audience, we recommend the social networks and programs that can best move their brand forward and tell their stories!

With that in mind, some of the best social tools out there right now include:

Twitter: We love Twitter because it allows us to create ongoing conversations with consumers, media and influencers alike. With daily trending topics, brands have the opportunity to form a lifestyle portal, contributing to discussions that are authentic to who they are and what they represent. The best brand messages are short, sweet and to the point and Twitter challenges us to stay true to that in 140 characters.

Facebook: With 1.5 billion users, Facebook still remains the social outlet with the largest audience and potential brand reach! For large-scale campaigns, Facebook offers an extensive range of customizable apps and advertising opportunities to really make a strong impact.

Instagram: With high engagement and a strong visual component, brands with a younger target demographic can build buzz and gain a strong following on Instagram. The mobile platform has been growing rapidly and shows no signs of slowing down, especially now with the introduction of video content.

How do you go about handling a social media PR campaign?

At NKPR, we have a unique approach. We always start off by asking our clients “What does success look like?”. Based on this, we build our social strategy and recommendations to align with those measures.

We provide a variety of social media services for our clients from social media audits that help to guide and evaluate their internal campaigns to full-scale community management and campaign development.

What advice would you give when it comes to using social media for a public relations campaign?

Take a 360-approach to the campaign, always looking at how social can push the envelope further

Know your audience and target them accordingly with the right message and social platform

Content is king and well-thought out creative campaigns will make a stronger impact then content for the sake of content

Establish an authentic brand voice, your social accounts should be a lifestyle portal and not overly promotional. Stay consistent

How would you recommend that a client handles a screw up on social media?

Be honest and forthcoming

Acknowledge the issue and present a solution

Make a quick and genuine apology, taking responsibility for the error

Address what went wrong and the steps your brand will take to ensure it doesn’t happen again

Do you have any social media success stories you’d like to share?

NKPR integrated a digital division ahead of the curve. We saw the PR landscape changing rapidly with the introduction of social networks like Facebook and Twitter and we wanted to be at the forefront for our clients.

We love that social media gives us the chance to connect with the public directly, something that happened primarily through media relations in the past. As a PR agency, we have built a following of 9000+ highly engaged users on Twitter and many more on our NKPR blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and more.

As an agency, we’ve established a strong and authentic brand voice on social media. Many of our new business now comes to us from social referrals and when we tweet or post about a product we love, our followers take notice. As a PR agency, we are now our own media outlet .

What do you think sets your company apart from your competitors?

Authenticity – Our brand voice and personality is at the core of everything we do and who we are as agency. When we say something on social, It is always authentic to our brand voice

Engagement – We have built a loyal following online over the years and engagement is very high. This means our posts can have a strong impact for our clients

This week, we got the chance to hear more from the 20th most popular PR firm on social media, República. Like many of the top firms on our list, you’ll see that they emphasize an individualized approach, and work to develop lasting relationships with their clients. Their international expertise and top-notch team work together to provide the best possible social media work for their clients.

For your clients, which social networks have been the most effective for PR?

Depending on the campaign and the strategy, but often times, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are the most common social platforms used for our clients.

How do you go about handling a social media PR campaign?

Each client’s needs are different. We work with our agency partners to determine the best approach for their brand based on their objectives. Our work ranges from basic account set up and branding of a social media profile to content creation, digital media strategy, and community management. For some client’s a hands on community management approach is beneficial, and with others, it’s more about providing strategic guidance in the space.

What advice would you give when it comes to using social media for a public relations campaign?

Social media is the most direct line of communication between a brand and a consumer. It’s paramount to understand that relationship. We recommend using social media channels as a vessel to listen to your audience, leverage that relationship to craft your brand’s story and always engage with followers, making them feel a part of the brand.

Social media also provides a medium to communicate news immediately. With today’s fast-paced news channels, it’s important for brands to leverage their social platforms to convey their message(s) quickly. This is especially important when planning campaigns or PR strategies regarding major announcements or dealing with crisis communications.

How would you recommend that a client handles a big screw up on social media?

It depends on the situation. If a client has tweeted something that was not factually correct or would like to retract a message, a good PR rule of thumb is, “Tell the truth, tell it all, tell it fast.” If you made a mistake, get out in front of it. An honest tweet or Facebook post can go a long way to repair any damage to public perception.

Do you have any social media success stories you’d like to share?

We recently worked with our client, Pernod Ricard Americas Travel Retail, on the launch of a new duty-free exclusive scotch whisky, the Chivas Brother’s Blend. República developed and executed a media relations campaign; social media strategy, content creation and community management for the brand’s Facebook page. Following a teaser campaign within the duty-free market and social media, we were able to garner more than 60,000 Facebook fans around this launch.

What do you think sets your company apart from your competitors?

República is a dream shop, built on guiding principles that stem to the core of our business practices. What sets us apart is our talented team members who are the bloodline of our agency, and without them we could not deliver the high-caliber work that help our clients succeed.

While there are many incredible companies in today’s marketplace, at República, we’re one familia, and that is rarity we hold as a cornerstone to “Who We R.”

If you know a PR firm who would like to offer their social media advice to other professionals, leave a comment or contact info@uwire.com to let us hear about it.

The music industry has embraced social media more than almost any other, so it should come as no surprise that Audible Treats has a worthy presence on social media. In fact, they came in at #11 on our list of the top PR firms on social media this year, so we got their perspective on what makes a social media campaign work. The following answers come from co-founder and president, Michelle McDevitt:

For your clients, which social networks have been the most effective for PR?

For my clients, most of whom are musicians, producers, rappers, singers, performers, Twitter and Facebook have proven been the most effective networks. Both Twitter and FB are easy for them to manage and update on their own and through them, they can extend their persona and brand with fans easily. More recently, Instagram and depending on their personality, Vine too, have become great tools for them too. Soundcloud and YouTube aren’t social media platforms but they have a similar metrics measuring component to them and they have proven to be indispensable to measure the efficacy of our campaigns.

How do you go about handling a social media PR campaign?

It depends from client to client. To be honest, most of our clients have a pretty good grasp on how to use social media so we usually only do light consulting in the form of passing along good press hits to share with fans, making sure they tag media publications when they tweet about their press hits, making sure their accounts aren’t auto-updating/syndicating across platforms (it’s lazy and can turn people off) teaching them the basics do’s and don’ts, etc. We sometimes come up with creative social media-driven contest and activation ideas to incentivize fans to become more involved and help spread the gospel too.

What advice would you give when it comes to using social media for a public relations campaign?

Don’t rely solely on social media to raise awareness and likewise, don’t ignore it. I consider social media to be complementary to a traditional PR campaign. There’s hundreds of blogs dedicated to “best practices” – read those and choose which ones apply best to your industry.

How would you recommend that a client handles a big screw up on social media?

Owning up to mistakes and apologizing for gaffes is usually the best way to handle them. I would also suggest a more extensive apology on the company blog or doing an interview after extensive media training.

Do you have any social media success stories you’d like to share?

Several of our clients have been trending topics on Twitter, Facebook Likes have doubled or even tripled within a month, we’ve launched several clients’ first interactive campaigns on their social media platforms that have resulted in increased sales, awareness, and an uptick in ancillary areas, such as new show bookings, getting higher profile mangers, getting record deals, etc.

What do you think sets your company apart from your competitors?

We get results in a variety of media platforms and clients can tell that we’re personally invested in our projects. We consult on everything from image to branding to asset roll-out and we have honest conversations with a client if something isn’t up to par and will ultimately hurt the campaign.

If you know a PR firm who would like to offer their social media advice to other professionals, leave a comment or contact info@uwire.com to let us hear about it.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/09/23/audible-treats-social-media-music-for-your-ears/feed/0No Two Campaigns are Alike: rbb Public Relations and Social Mediahttp://uwire.com/2013/09/16/rbb-public-relations-and-social-media/
http://uwire.com/2013/09/16/rbb-public-relations-and-social-media/#commentsMon, 16 Sep 2013 13:04:34 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=172415With the #19 spot on our list of the top PR firms on social media, we were excited to hear what rbb Public Relations could tell us about how they find success through social media campaigns. Rather than have just one employee give us answers to our questions, rbb took a team-based approach that really drives home the point that individualized attention is a key trait of a successful public relations campaign.

For your clients, which social networks have been the most effective for PR?

Maite Velez-Couto, Vice President:

In simple terms, it depends.

Facebook continues to be a powerful tool to connect with currently engaged audiences and those that are already “fans” of the brands because they already love the product and are there to listen and engage – when done well. It works very well for our hotel brand clients. The platform gives us a forum to mine information to make the guest experience that much better, learn their needs on real time and offer meaningful rewards and insights. The conversation also informs the direction of future promotions.

We find Twitter more effective when trying to engage those that may not be as familiar with a brand or product. Also, the “simplicity” of the platform allows us to move more quickly and perhaps test things without committing too much time or resources. When used creatively, Twitter is also a great way to amplify the reach of a PR program like a media “Fam” trip to a resort or a product sampling tour.

Pinterest is a great place for our travel clients. It’s a strong traffic driver to the brand sites.

How do you go about handling a social media PR campaign?

Christine de la Huerta, Vice President:

This is not a one-size-fits all type of business. We manage these assignments in different ways, to adapt individually to client policies, comfort level and resources.

For some clients, we do it all: create content, handle engagement, manage the online communities and fully run their online channels, soup to nuts. For others, we may ramp it up for them, create a content calendar and engagement strategy, then conduct training for their communications staff to take it over and we hand it off. Still other clients have us create the content strategy and the proactive content on an ongoing basis, while they do the actual postings and engagement. In any of these scenarios, and all the hybrids in between, the most important step is to have a strategy, know your audience and provide value along the way.

What advice would you give when it comes to using social media for a public relations campaign?

Abdul Muhammad II, Vice President of Digital Development:

Let the PR team drive the social media!

You get the best results from an integrated communications campaign, when the message, distribution, and engagement takes place under one umbrella.
Be a #BreakoutBrand and use real-time data to better inform, connect and build long-lasting relations. The new PR is SOCIAL!

How would you recommend that a client handles a big screw up on social media?

Bruce Rubin, Crisis Communications Expert:

In any corporate crisis, one size doesn’t fit all, so variables always come into play. But generally, a social media gaffe can be covered with a swift and genuine apology. If this is done on a timely basis, there isn’t much detractors can continue to say.

Do you have any social media success stories you’d like to share?

Rafael Sangiovanni, Social Media Strategist:

We have several passionate pop culture geeks in the office, and there was a lightning in a bottle opportunity where we found a crossover between “Lord of the Rings,” public relations and social media trends.

We knew that infographics get shared on social media like wildfire, especially Twitter. So, when director Peter Jackson announced that he was making “The Hobbit” into a trilogy (a hugely heated topic at the time), our team whipped up an infographic calculating the potential amount of money the new trilogy could make per page of the book, based on the success of the original “Lord Of The Rings” movie series.

It was a unique angle on the conversation – something we always strive to find in PR – and that particular infographic was representative of the type of creative, out-of–the–box thinking rbb applies to all our client projects, while also showcasing our creative services capabilities.

To get the word out, we hit the pavement with search and response messaging, talking to film bloggers, LOTR book enthusiasts, pop culture aficionados, PR and marketing pros – the works. Because of that outreach on social media, the response to the post was so overwhelming that till this day – one year later – “The Hobbit” infographic remains one of our most viewed pieces of content, and it continues to drive traffic to rbb’s branded online channels.

What do you think sets rbb apart from your competitors?

Lisa Ross, President and Partner

Here are the top five reasons clients choose rbb (culled from interviews we conduct after every new business presentation):

rbb dedicates the entire resources of the firm to one client in a category to share every opportunity we uncover, and provides up to 10% courtesy hours each month as part of our investment in growing our clients business.

rbb’s dedicated client teams are always led by a partner of the firm guaranteeing a level of accountability that will exceed client expectations. Our staff member’s average tenure exceeds eight years, meaning we deliver a team with deep knowledge and commitment to match.

rbb is a multicultural, four-time national PR Agency of the Year, recognized for pushing the creative and strategic envelope and driving meaningful client business results. We strive to continually set the standards for public relations success, with our work garnering Silver Anvils, Platinum PR Awards, and SABRE Awards in nearly every possible category including word of mouth, thought leadership, multicultural, cause-related, reputation management, community relations, B2B markeing, digital/social media, and more.

Bottom line… rbb is a marketing PR firm that offers the creativity and experience of a large agency, packaged as a cost-effective and nimble boutique agency. Our sweet spot derives from our Breakout Brands approach, which drives forward brands that want to challenge the segment and break out from traditional marketing techniques. We do whatever it takes to break through the information clutter, communicate with various audiences, and reinforce our passion for breaking goals and setting new standards of ROI.

If you know a PR firm who would like to offer their social media advice to other professionals, leave a comment or contact info@uwire.com to let us hear about it.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/09/16/rbb-public-relations-and-social-media/feed/0Learning from BLAZE PR’s Social Media Approachhttp://uwire.com/2013/09/09/learning-from-blaze-prs-social-media-approach/
http://uwire.com/2013/09/09/learning-from-blaze-prs-social-media-approach/#commentsMon, 09 Sep 2013 13:06:19 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=172066After publishing our annual list of the most popular public relations firms on social media last month, we decided to follow up with some of the companies on the list to find out more about how they manage social media campaigns for their clients. Our first interview with Apryl DeLancey of BLAZE PR gave us some insight into her firm’s strategy, and we hope it will help other PR professionals learn a thing or two as well.

For your clients, which social networks have been the most effective for PR?

The most effective networks really depend on the client and what their particular goals are. We’ve found Twitter to be incredibly effective to pitch journalists and to maintain relationships. Facebook, on the other hand, has been great to get reach and awareness, especially when there are sweepstakes involved. Instagram is becoming more relevant, especially with the video component.

How do you go about handling a social media PR campaign?

To handle social media PR campaigns we work with the client on the overarching strategic plan and then determine the tactical execution from there. We have clients that we give the tactical plan to and then follow their progress on a regular interval, giving them optimization recommendations. In addition, we have other clients where we run the accounts entirely. So, the answer to your question is both.

What advice would you give to potential clients or other PR professionals when it comes to social media?

The most important thing is to determine what your goals are and what success looks like. From there, you determine what platforms meet those needs. Saying that you “need a YouTube presence” or spreading yourself over all platforms because you think you need to be everywhere are not goals. Carefully examine what you are trying to do, who you are trying to reach, and what other traditional outlets you need to create a comprehensive and successful plan.

Do you have any social media success stories you’d like to share?

One of our biggest success stories is with our Marriott hotels. We have 3 in particular that are just a few miles apart and gave each a unique identity not only through online social media campaigns but through offline activation.

What do you think sets your company apart from your competitors?

We have senior staff that not only determines strategy for our clients, but remains day-to-day contacts for them. Our clients aren’t passed off to interns or junior staff, they’ve got access to the Directors and VPs at any time they wish.

If you know a PR firm who would like to offer their social media advice to other professionals, leave a comment or contact info@uwire.com to let us hear about it.

Public relations is a quickly changing field, and little in technology has had as much impact on the industry as social media has.

A decline in print journalism, broadcast radio, and even television has shaken the PR world, but public relations firms who are investing more time and energy into social media are less likely to worry about these technological upheavals. Social media is beginning to play a critical role in reaching customers, so if you’re looking for someone to handle your PR, you should look for a firm that understands social, and holds it at the top of its priority list.

Here are the 25 most successful PR firms on social media in 2013, and some of the ways they set themselves apart:

25. Golin Harris International

After getting their first client in 1956, Golin Harris has continued to build on that success as the representative for companies like Dow Checmical, McDonald’s, and PetSmart. Golin Harris does a great job on Twitter responding to their fans and customers, and shares fun and personal updates on their Facebook page.

24. APCO Worldwide

APCO serves many large, worldwide business clients like Sprint and Applied Materials. Besides sharing a wide range of public relations industry news, they cover issues in woman owned businesses, and photos from events they host.

23. BLAZE PR

With clients in industries like health, hospitality, and consumer products, Blaze PR has gathered almost 6000 followers and fans on Twitter and Facebook respectively. They keep their Facebook fans engaged by asking questions about social media and consumer-related news, and post company updates and advice from around the web on their Twitter account.

22. New Media Strategies

Since 1999, New Media Strategies (NMS for short) has worked with some major brands like NBC, Adobe, and Domino’s Pizza. Besides managing over 129 social media accounts for clients, they manage their own Facebook and Twitter pages handily as well.

21. MWW Group

MWW has experience in a wide range of consumer public relations campaigns, and their client list is pretty varied as well. They keep followers up to date with updates from their blog, job openings, and industry related news through both Twitter and Facebook. They also do a good job listening and retweeting people on Twitter.

20. República

With a focus on cross-cultural campaigns, República offers its clients a wide range of services including social media, advertising, and public relations. Through social media, they showcase awards they receive and highlight relevant news from across the internet.

19. rbb Public Relations

Among numerous other awards, rbb is also the first public relations firm on this list to crack 7000 fans and followers combined. They stay very engaged with their followers on Twitter, and post lots of fun photos and office updates on Facebook.

18. Trylon SMR

Trylon’s clients include some of the best names in technology and media. They operate the NY Convergence Blog, where they have over 7300 fans and followers. On both networks, they share news about New York, technology, and startups throughout the day.

17. Max Borges Agency

While most firms on this list take on a variety of clients, Max Borges focuses completely on tech companies like Philips, ThinkGeek, and MSI Laptops. Their Twitter and Facebook streams are filled with interesting gadget and tech news, and they also do a great job responding to customers and fans.

16. Text 100 Global PR

Text 100 shares content from it’s own blog (known as Hypertext), as well as from digital communications outlets around the web. They also know to keep their social presence loose, and have fun. Their laid back culture has no doubt helped them gain hip clients like MTV, Skype, Ikea, and Activision.

15. NKPR Inc

By taking an individualized approach to public relations, NKPR has landed clients like Anne Klein and Skyy Vodka as well as a wide range of consumer-facing brands. Natasha Koifman (the company’s founder) operates their Twitter account, and does an excellent job giving her updates in a personal and well thought out way. It’s no surprise that NKPR has over 8500 followers on Twitter alone.

14. Gregory FCA

Based in Philadelphia, Gregory’s clients include a wide range of national and international brands. Their award winning campaign in content marketing sets them apart, but so does their solid use of social media. Like many PR firms on this list, Gregory does a great job highlighting industry news on social media as well as recognizing their customers and fans.

13. Waggener Edstrom Worldwide

Using a mix of traditional and new media, Waggener Edstrom specializes in bringing engagement to their clients, but they’ve also made sure to get some engagement themselves on social media. With around 9500 fans and followers, Waggener Edstrom engages their audience with a mix of fun and interesting news as well as company updates.

12. Hill & Knowlton

With offices in over 50 countries, the people at Hill & Knowlton certainly stay busy. Still, they haven’t forgotten about social media, where they share a variety of tips for PR professionals as well as job listings and interactions with their customers.

11. Audible Treats

Brooklyn based Audible Treats offers unique PR services to musicians and artists looking to get the word out through both online and print distribution. Both their Facebook and Twitter accounts are great for audiophiles to keep up with the latest up-and-coming artists, so it’s no surprise that they’ve been able to garner a following of over 11,000 since their founding in 2004.

10. Porter Novelli

Porter Novelli has some of the most recognizable clients in this list (Pepsi, HP, and Pampers to name a few), and their international presence has garnered them many awards. On social media, they do a great job keeping up with social media, content marketing, and public relations news, especially as it relates to digital technologies.

9. 5W Public Relations

With offices in New York and Los Angeles, 5W has a coast-to-coast approach to public relations that has both landed them clients and offered them many awards. Not least among these was being named 2013′s PR Agency of the Year at the Stevie’s. Their social media presence on Facebook offers exposure for their clients, and they have a great stream of interesting news coming in on Twitter.

Socialbots – designed to sway elections, to influence the stock market, even to flirt with people and one another: http://t.co/LXyZRpddv7

8. Shore Fire Media

The second Brooklyn based music PR firm on this list, Shore Fire’s customer-specific approach has garnered them a variety of pop, rock, and country clients. They do a good job interacting with their customers and followers, and make sure that followers get a variety of music-related news, releases, and events.

7. Burson-Marsteller

With over 60 years of experience representing brands in a range of technology and human driven industries, it’s clear that Burson-Marsteller knows its stuff when it comes to public relations. With over 18,000 fans and followers on Facebook and Twitter, it’s also clear that Burson-Marsteller knows its stuff in the realm of social media. They share relevant news as well as plenty of shout-outs to brands they support.

Congratulations to @GenesisBM on a Gold SABRE for Pepsi & 3 certificates of excellence for Sennheiser, Earth Hour & Avon at #SABREIndia!

6. Fleishman-Hillard

Fleishman-Hillard has a long history of pursuing what it calls the “power of true.” Their clients include many internationally known organizations such as the Turkish Embassy, Procter and Gamble, and ConAgra Foods, so it makes sense that they would have a global social presence as well. With over 18,000 followers on Twitter alone, Fleishman-Hillard deserves its #6 spot on this year’s list.

5. J Public Relations

Don’t let their short name fool you. J is widely known as one of the country’s best public relations firms in the hospitality industry, and they’ve successfully managed clients like the Hard Rock Hotel and Sheraton Hotels. Their Facebook page has company updates and fun photos from around their office, and their Twitter account offers some great travel and hotel related advice for followers.

4. Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick’s mission may be to give clients “a legion of believers, supporters and fans,” but that doesn’t mean they haven’t gathered quite a legion themselves. Over 24,000 people get updates from the firm on Facebook and Twitter where they share a variety of public relations news, company updates, and releases from clients.

3. JESS3

At the edge of math and art, JESS3 specializes in helping their clients visualize large data sets and present them in the most impactful way possible. With the popularity of infographics and visualized data around the web, it’s not completely surprising that JESS3 would have been able to build such a massive following, but the really interesting thing is that they spend more real estate on Twitter retweeting and mentioning others than promoting themselves. People appreciate this kind of “real”-ness, and it shows in JESS3′s fan base.

2. Edelman

Being the world’s largest public relations firm already places Edelman in a category of their own, but you can’t discount their commitment to social media either. With over 50,000 fans and followers, Edelman has made a name for themselves in PR news and commentary. Their blog is a great resource for writers and professionals, and they do a great job making sure that their name is front and center in the world of PR.

2. [Updated] ALM Public Relations

1. Ogilvy & Mather

Finally, at #1 on our list of the top 25 PR firms on social media, Ogilvy & Mather sits uncontested. With a staggering 200,000+ fans and followers, Ogilvy has the big name client list to back up their big name social following. They keep fans engaged with fun and relevant advertising campaigns, and manage multiple social media accounts for their variety of business offerings.

Notes: This list was compiled using the total social following of over 200 top-ranked US public relations firms. All inquiries should be directed to info@uwire.com.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/08/21/25-top-pr-firms-on-social-media/feed/45 PR Lessons We Can Learn From Star Trekhttp://uwire.com/2013/08/06/5-pr-lessons-we-can-learn-from-star-trek/
http://uwire.com/2013/08/06/5-pr-lessons-we-can-learn-from-star-trek/#commentsWed, 07 Aug 2013 01:23:47 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=170236Okay, I have to admit, I’ve been watching a fair amount of Star Trek lately. Every time a new movie comes out, I get inspired to go back and watch some of my favorite episodes in the original series, the Next Generation, and Voyager. Call me a throwback, but there are some really great stories in those old TV series, and some valuable PR lessons as well. Hopefully some of my fellow Trekkies (or is it Trekkers?) can relate:

1. Do your homework before you get started

Every time the Enterprise’s crew comes up against an enemy that’s an especially tough one, it’s because they didn’t know enough about them before the encounter. As a PR professional, the same lesson holds true: know your target audience and know them well. If you don’t, you risk alienating them from your message.

2. Celebrate the diversity of your audience

One of the first things that struck me about Star Trek when I was a kid was the crew’s willingness to learn about and accept alien species with totally different customs from their own. Similarly, one of the most important things to remember in PR is that in most cases, the audience you are attempting to reach is culturally, ethnically, and racially different. Take time to learn about other cultures before you dismiss them from your target market.

3. Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd

The Borg are one of the most dangerous and frightening villains in the Star Trek series, partly because they act as one giant entity rather than individuals. A lot of people look at companies like they do the Borg; big, scary, single-minded behemoths who can’t identify with them. As a PR professional, you should make it your mission to stand out from the crowd and capture your audience’s attention.

4. Hold yourself to a higher standard

If you’ve ever watched Star Trek, you know about the “Prime Directive” which forbids Star Fleet’s Crew from interfering with the development of alien societies. This binding rule holds Star Fleet’s members to a high standard of integrity and excellence, and keeps their intentions clear. If you’re in PR, you’ve probably met a few people with a high level of integrity like this, and some who lack it. Make a commitment to yourself and your employer that you will be honest and you’re more likely to be happy in your career.

5. Remember that technology could fail you at any time

Sometimes it’s a bit of a weak plot device, but on a ship the size of Enterprise, it makes sense that there would be some mechanical and technical failures. The same can happen at any time in your PR career, so don’t rely too much on untested or uncertain technological crazes. Just look at all the people who jumped on the SEO-optimized anchor text bandwagon who are now getting burned by Google’s latest updates. It’s best to always have a backup plan.

As the summer winds down and students prepare to return to campus across the country, colleges are taking a serious look at fighting violent shooting incidents on campuses. Kent State held a “mock” campus shooting exercise this past week:

“The police and fire departments conduct active-shooter training drills multiple times a year, but a scenario of this scale has not been done since 2007, said Eric Mansfield, executive director of University Media Relations.” - Christina Bucciere, Kent State University

Unfortunately, it looks like the officers weren’t quite prepared for the massive exercise. “[The officers] were sweating and yelling…it seemed like they didn’t know what was going on because they initially took the gun out of my hand and left,” said Ryan McNeilly, the student acting as the gunman in the scenario. Ryan went on to complement the officers in the comments of the article online though:

“Let me say that KSU PD, Kent City PD, and Kent FD did an excellent job to put on this exercise, and they all worked very hard to stay focused, taking the scenario very seriously. It was quite a learning experience from my own perspective as to how local law enforcement and emergency services work together to protect the community. There was a lot of discussion outside of the actual exercise between volunteers and KSU PD, and we all got along great. I think we gained a better understanding and respect for one another.” – Ryan McNeilly

Meanwhile, other have suggested that if more students were allowed to have weapons for self-defense, they could fight incidents like this themselves. Even so, it seems that the demand for carrying a concealed weapon is relatively low, at least at CU, Boulder. Students there have been legally allowed to keep a legally registered gun in one of the on-campus dorms for the past two years, but so far no one has requested to live there:

“The lack of students wanting to live in specific dorms highlights that [firearms] is an issue that did not warrant the level of attention it got…If a group of faculty believe this is something that needs revisiting, then the appropriate stance would be a joint town hall with the administration to hear all opinions. But I think the university has many more issues to focus on right now rather than revisiting the gun issue.” - Paul Chinowsky, Chairman of the Boulder Faculty Assembly, University of Colorado at Boulder

Same Sex Marriage Legal for Citizens and Students in Two New States

#Politics

Despite protests from well-known, little-respected religious group, Westboro Baptist Church, Rhode Island has become the last state in New England to legalize same sex marriage. Meanwhile, Minnesota has also legalized gay marriage.

Smoking Ban Reaches University of Dayton Students

#Politics

As the number of young people who smoke has decreased and awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke have increased, many colleges are looking to ban cigarettes from their campuses. The University of Dayton is the latest in this move away from a habit that still kills upwards of 440,000 people every year:

“Teri Rizvi, associate vice president for university communications, said smoking will only be permitted in 13 designated areas constructed throughout campus, effective Aug. 1. The policy will not affect public roads or sidewalks and students living in UD houses will continue to determine if they want their residence to be smoking or non-smoking, she said.” - Sarah Devine, University of Dayton

According to the Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, almost 1200 colleges have banned smoking or moved it into designated areas only.

The Daily Emerald reported this week on a rising trend among colleges that want to trim down their faculty costs. While there are plenty of capable academics out there, many are being forced to take adjunct positions rather than tenured spots because universities don’t want to pay up:

“According to Pullias Center of Higher Education, in 1969 tenured professors comprised 78 percent of college teaching jobs in America. Today that number is nearly inversed in favor of non-tenure track professors, who are more favorable for their shorter contracts and lower pay. Some non-tenure track faculty can still be considered career instructors on longer contracts, but there are many who are on year-to-year contracts or, in some cases, term-to-term.” - Troy Brynelson, the Daily Emerald

On the plus side, it seems that this trend is attempting to keep costs low for students, who are already paying record amounts for their college educations, but students have to wonder what the quality of the education they’re getting is. When teachers aren’t fully committed to their jobs because they live in fear of being booted next semester, how can they focus their mind-power on developing an effective course?

Florida State Trooper steals student newspapers to protect his friend

#Crime

In one of the most bizarre stories across college news this week, a man was caught on film stealing a large stack of UNF’s student newspaper, the Spinnaker. The man turned out to be Steven Coppola, a UNF graduate and member of Northeast Florida’s Highway Patrol Troop G. The Spinnaker reported on his confession and the reason that Coppola took the papers:

“Coppola said that after receiving a phone call from a friend who read Spinnaker’s June 12 issue, he was concerned about the Police Beat section…A friend of Coppola’s, 25 year-old Joshua Hott, …was arrested outside of the Lazzara Performing Arts Center May 30 and charged with video voyeurism…The police report said a suspect was seen taking video of an 18 year-old male as he was using the restroom. The victim noticed and chased the suspect outside where he tackled him to the ground. The victim’s parents held the suspect there until police arrived.” - Connor Spielmaker, Spinnaker

Coppola apparently managed to take (or help take) over 3000 Spinnakers that went missing the night that the story came out. While it doesn’t appear that the Florida Highway Patrol will take any action against Coppola – who was off-duty at the time – students are calling the actions “a form of censorship.”

Dartmouth under investigation after 30+ violations reported by students and alumni

#Crime

Complaints of sexual assault, gender-based, racial and religious discrimination, hate crimes, bullying, and hazing have prompted the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to initiate a compliance review at Dartmouth University. While the review was reportedly not related to any single incident, this student-led movement is unprecedented at the college:

“This isn’t the end for Dartmouth. It’s only going to get bigger…This is the largest influx of complaints the D.O.E. has received in its history. The momentum is building around the problems on college campuses.” - Andrea Pino, as reported in The Dartmouth

Dartmouth is not alone in being suspected of some sort of Title IX violation. A number of colleges have come under scrutiny recently, and the trend suggests that students, faculty, and alumni are becoming more aware of and open to reporting these violations.

SEC Football breakdown from The Independent Florida Alligator

#Sports

The Southeastern Conference has dominated college football’s national championship for the past 7 years, so keeping an eye on the SEC really means keeping an eye on the top dogs in the game. Adam Lichtenstein offers up a quick overview on both the old dynasties and the new entrants to the conference in his column this week.

What college news were you keeping up with this week? Feel free to leave your top stories in the comments below.

#Crime

After Saturday’s late-night ruling that released George Zimmerman from a year-long legal battle that started after he shot and killed Trayvon Martin, a 17 year old African American boy walking in Zimmerman’s neighborhood. Zimmerman’s attorneys claimed that the fatal shots were fired in self-defense and the jury agreed, but many college students believe they were wrong:

“This is a time of national mourning – specifically for black people in this country. I do not wish to expend energy trying to explain why this is to anyone.” - Kristian Davis Bailey, Stanford University

Protests were planned after the verdict at a number of schools, including UT Arlington:

“We feel that this peaceful protest will let our voices be heard regarding whether racial profiling or injustice was involved…” – Micah Okoro, University of Texas at Arlington

While the isolated case of Trayvon Martin’s death will be debated long into the future, many have taken it to represent a broader issue of racial inequality in the justice system and throughout America:

“[The ruling] reinforces the idea that African-Americans will always be one of the most feared and misunderstood races in our Divided States of America.” - Junius Randolph, Northwestern University

Despite the outcry against the jury’s verdict, the overall feeling was hopeful:

“One of the takeaways from the Trayvon Martin case…is to take up the challenges of ensuring peace by fighting unequivocally for social justice in all of its forms. This goes beyond symbolic acts of protest and gestures. What we must embrace is real community engagement. We must work to undermine those forces that continue to divide us, to understand and promote human solidarity.” - Dr. Yohuru Williams, Fairfield University

“We’re the ones living in an unjust world, and if we don’t stand up to it, nothing’s going to happen.” - Jesse Smith, University of Florida

Zimmerman’s acquital may not be the end of this issue though. It’s possible that the Martin family could bring a civil suit against Zimmerman, and the Department of Justice is now investigating the killing as a possible hate crime.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Appointed Head of California College System

#Education

While the news was largely dominated by the Zimmerman verdict, there was also big news for University of California students. Former US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was selected as the university system’s new president. President Obama wished her luck as she left the White House:

“Since day one, Janet has led my administration’s effort to secure our borders, deploying a historic number of resources, while also taking steps to make our immigration system fairer and more consistent with our values… And as she begins a new chapter in a remarkable career of public service, I wish her the best of luck.” – Barack Obama

UC’s Student Regent also liked the selection:

“I think the University is developing a much more concrete understanding of its potential influence in the state legislature … and building of relationships with the capitol. So in that sense, I think (Napolitano) is going to be very effective.” - Cinthia Flores

But student groups weren’t quite as satisfied with Napolitano. Students say that her record on immigration does not reflect the values that students in the UC system share:

“This is our school’s leadership and they’re not even considering the experiences of undocumented students…Just consider if there’s an undocumented student in the UC whose family member has been deported because of Napolitano’s policy.” - Seth Ronquillo, UCLA

A petition has been started by students to remove the new president, but with so much political weight behind her, an upheaval seems unlikely.

#Loans

When the Federal student loan interest rate doubled, Oregon countered by offering free tuition to students attending its universities. Instead of paying back a loan with a set interest rate, students would pay 3% of their paycheck to the state after they graduate. The plan is no doubt revolutionary, but not everyone is excited about it:

“Why work so hard?” Walker said, mentioning that those who graduate and find higher paying careers would end up contributing more to the fund than those who decided to go into service positions, such as teachers or reporters. “You don’t know how much you’re going to make after college,” Walker said. “Just saying it’ll be 3 percent won’t matter if I don’t get a job.” – Daily Emerald

The bill will enter a study phase in 2015, meaning that it will not become the law of the land until at least 2019.

Sonoma State Orientation Leader Asked to Remove Her Cross Necklace

#Religion

When Sonoma State Junior, Audrey Jarvis, was asked to remove her religiously affiliated jewelry before going in front of future students as an orientation leader, she was understandably shocked. After the incident received national coverage and Jarvis teamed up with Liberty Institute to seek restitution, school president, Ruben Armiñana, released an official school-wide apology:

“Somebody made a mistake. It should not have happened . . . you are free to display whatever religious instrument you wish.” – President Ruben Armiñana, as quoted by the Sonoma State Star

Jarvis will be meeting with school officials, and it’s possible that legal action will be brought against the school as well.

Gainsville Florida, Columbus Ohio, and Los Angeles California Named Top Cities for “Bros”

#Fraternities

Unsurprisingly, some of the biggest cities for “bros” are those with large fraternity presences, but don’t think that being a bro is necessarily a bad thing:

“I generally think of it positively. Sometimes being a bro and having bros means a lot of times you’ve gone through a lot of the same things and shared experiences. That’s what makes you bros.” - Chris Sposito, Junior at the University of Florida

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/07/13/weekly-college-news-roundup-free-tuition-in-oregon-parks-recreation-star-swanson-coming-to-ohio/feed/0Using Real Time Marketing to Reach College Studentshttp://uwire.com/2013/07/10/using-real-time-marketing-to-reach-college-students/
http://uwire.com/2013/07/10/using-real-time-marketing-to-reach-college-students/#commentsWed, 10 Jul 2013 14:00:01 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=168868Ever since Oreo’s epic real time marketing win during the 2013 Super Bowl, PR and marketing professionals have been ga-ga for real time marketing. That said, there have been plenty of really terrible attempts since, so I think it’s worth exploring the best practices for real time marketing to college students. First, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page here:

What is Real Time Marketing?

The internet has allowed us to communicate more quickly to more people more cheaply than any other medium before, and for marketing professionals, that’s really exciting. In an ideal scenario, real time marketing means offering unique and engaging content to interested consumers at the perfect moment in time. For example, Oreo tweeted this the moment the lights went out during the 2013 Super Bowl:

It’s perfect. People were already madly tweeting about the game and then the outage, so the tweet went massively viral and had all the marketing bloggers talking about it for the next week.

And Then There’s the Bad…

Unfortunately, real time marketing is rarely done in such a seamless way. For example, American Apparel sent an email blast to its subscribers during Hurricane Sandy to advertise a “Hurricane Sandy Sale.” People were understandably outraged:

I just received a “Hurricane Sandy sale” email blast from @AmericanApparel. I will forever boycott their stores. RT if you’re with me

Let’s be honest here, everybody loves a sale, but when your marketing attempt seems to make light of a serious tragedy that killed 125 people and buried a metro area under water, there’s going to be some negative feedback. I think American Apparel could have approached this event more successfully though. For example, maybe instead of giving patrons 20% off, they donate 20% of their sales to victims of the storm? That’s the kind of real time marketing that wins you fans.

The Best Time for Real Time

College students have the opportunity to attend hundreds of events on or around their campus every year. Between basketball games, football games, concerts, parties, guest speakers, conferences, and television shows there is no shortage of opportunity for real time marketing attempts. That said, not every event is the best place for real time marketing, and it doesn’t always pay to be the first person to open his/her mouth:

“Good timing is equally critical in the world of real-time marketing. But having good timing is not the same as doing things quickly. Where speed is fast and arbitrary, timing is about being patient and discriminating. It can mean acting quickly, but only if you’re thoughtful enough to wait until you identify the right moment—so you’re reacting because it makes sense, not just because you can. Social savvy, whether at a cocktail party or on Twitter, requires a basic understanding of intrinsic social graces, including attentiveness and restraint. When brands rush breathlessly…they often run into trouble.” - Cheryl Metzger

So What are the Best Events to Reach Students?

If you’re not in college any more, you may not keep up with the trends. If you don’t, I’d recommend following some college blogs or accounts on Twitter. Still, there are some events that are pretty much guaranteed to hold students’ attention:

Sporting events (especially football and basketball)

Awards shows

Concerts

TV shows

Once you figure out which ones your customers are watching, it’s pretty easy to get in on the real time marketing train on Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr.

As Always, Content is Key

By now, you should be putting together a list of a few events that you’d like to try doing some real time marketing during. Good. Now the big question is, “what do you say?”

No matter when or how you do your marketing, high-quality content is the key to a successful campaign. Whether it’s infographics, videos, blog posts, Tweets, or Pins, if it’s not very good, your audience isn’t going to be impressed. This doesn’t mean you have to be an expert at video production or a master of photoshop, but if you’re not, don’t try to use them.

College students – more than other demographics – can smell through your crappy content. No matter how timely your marketing is, any real time efforts will fall short if they’re not well executed.

Has your company or employer started using real time marketing? What tips do you have for using it? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/07/10/using-real-time-marketing-to-reach-college-students/feed/3Where Does Your Brand Stand on Gay Marriage and Does it Matter?http://uwire.com/2013/07/03/does-your-brand-stand-on-gay-marriage/
http://uwire.com/2013/07/03/does-your-brand-stand-on-gay-marriage/#commentsWed, 03 Jul 2013 12:58:07 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=168659It’s often risky to politicize your brand, and publicly take a stand on a hot-button issue like gay marriage. With two major Supreme Court decisions about the issue and hundreds of gay pride parades going on right now, it’s gotten a lot easier for some brands to make a stand in support of gay marriage. So, is it wise for college-centric brands to align themselves with this cause?

Photo by Fibonacci Blue on Flickr.com

Here’s What the Students Think of Gay Marriage

In 2009, 65% of college students supported same-sex marriage. Over the next two years, that number increased to 71%, and in 2013 the Washington Post found that 81% of young adults believed that legalizing gay marriage was the right thing to do.

In short, college students and young people overwhelmingly support it.

Because the issue is seen by many young people as a civil rights issue, and not necessarily a political one, support crosses gender and party lines among young consumers, but it does hold especially strong weight among females and liberals. Experts believe this issue could be one of the strongest reasons that young people get politically active, so while there are some students who may be put off by the issue, a lot of big brands have no problem taking a side.

Who’s Already Doing it?

So if you think that it will help your customers and college students get behind your brand, the pathway has already been cleared. You won’t be the first, but you probably won’t be the last either.

Where the Opposite Could Land You

There are a few companies who have moved in the opposite direction of supporting gay marriage – most notably Chick-fil-A. After it was discovered that the family-owned company donated money to organizations opposed to same-sex marriage, Chick-fil-A’s owner, Dan Cathy, angered a lot of people with his remarks:

“I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage’. I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about.”

Regardless of your personal feelings about same-sex marriage, it has become an increasingly difficult issue to stand up against. While I don’t think it’s 100% necessary for every company out there to come out in support of gay marriage, it’s clearly not wise to show yourself as a staunch opponent.

What do you think? Should brands support divisive political issues or just keep quiet? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/07/03/does-your-brand-stand-on-gay-marriage/feed/3Weekly College News Roundup: Student Loan Rate Doubles, David Patraeus Begins Lucrative Education Careerhttp://uwire.com/2013/07/02/student-loan-rate-doubles-david-patraeus-begins-lucrative-education-career/
http://uwire.com/2013/07/02/student-loan-rate-doubles-david-patraeus-begins-lucrative-education-career/#commentsTue, 02 Jul 2013 14:09:11 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=168634Federal student loan rates have dominated the news this week, and one former CIA Director is trying to hide on the sidelines as Gawker unveiled his massive salary for teaching just one class at CUNY. Also, read on to hear about the future of the English Major and the latest social trend: video sharing.

Student Loans Just Got Pricier

#Loans

Students expecting to get student loans next year may be facing a new, unexpected challenge if Congress can’t make a decision before their recess in August:

Subsidized Stafford loans, which account for roughly a quarter of all direct federal borrowing, went from 3.4 percent interest to 6.8 percent interest on Monday. Congress’ Joint Economic Committee estimated the cost passed to students would be about $2,600. – The Huffington Post

Disgraced CIA Director Receives Comfy College-Funded Paycheck

#Professors

As Gawker points out in their report this week, most new professors at City University of New York will bring home only $25,000 per year for their efforts. Still, the school has seen fit to pay former CIA Director David Patraeus $200,000 for teaching a single class:

[Patraeus] will net a whopping $200,000 a year for the course, which will total about three hours of work, aided by a group of graduate students to take care of “course research, administration, and grading.”…That works out to approximately $2,250 per hour. – Gawker

Fortunately, it looks like his salary will be granted from a “Private Gift,” but it’s still got people questioning this use of funds.

Humanities Majors Continue to Decline

#Majors

English, History, Literature, and the rest of the humanities majors have dwindled, and many believe that’s a problem. It’s easy to let them pass by the wayside when faced with an economic crisis, but is there something more we can do to help them return to glory?

The teaching of the humanities has fallen on hard times. So says a new report on the state of the humanities by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and so says the experience of nearly everyone who teaches at a college or university. Undergraduates will tell you that they’re under pressure — from their parents, from the burden of debt they incur, from society at large — to choose majors they believe will lead as directly as possible to good jobs. Too often, that means skipping the humanities. – New York Times

The Social Medium of 2013: Micro-Video

#Technology

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/07/02/student-loan-rate-doubles-david-patraeus-begins-lucrative-education-career/feed/0College Students Care About Accurate Newshttp://uwire.com/2013/06/26/college-students-care-about-accurate-news/
http://uwire.com/2013/06/26/college-students-care-about-accurate-news/#commentsWed, 26 Jun 2013 13:41:50 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=167887With more students getting their news on social media than ever before, it’s no surprise that they’ve learned to be skeptical. In the news media’s desperate attempt to cry out, “First!” when it comes to breaking news, publications are more likely to push content out before it’s been properly checked. 66% of millennials report mistrust in the accuracy of the news they receive, and that matters:

Almost 70 percent of millennials would rather be the last to know the news than receive inaccurate information. – PR Daily

Full infographic at http://www.ypulse.com/post/view/millennials-and-news-fact-checked

Fortunately, there are ways to build trust with readers from the millennial generation. Here are a few ways you can foster trust with young readers:

It seems that every few weeks there’s a new app or social network that kids are suddenly using and spreading like wildfire. While you don’t have to figure out how to use every network out there, you should definitely be familiar with the big ones like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Also, keep your ears and eyes open for new players. Recently, Instagram, Vine, and Snapchat have all found a place into youth culture in a big way.

2. Make Users Your Advocates

Young users are more likely to trust their peers than to trust your marketing materials. They’re used to hearing how great your product is from your commercials or press releases, but they rarely hear it from their friends. It should be easier than ever to give your current users incentives to talk about you on social media, so don’t be shy. You might get really good results if you just try.

3. Know the Culture

In order to be trusted, you’ve got to keep your brand relevant. This means knowing a little bit about the institutions and brands your readers will and won’t trust, and hopefully keeping your company in the former group.

4. Be Honest

Finally, young customers and readers will value honesty over undeserved hype. When you screw up, let people know you screwed up. When you add a new feature or product, don’t make it out to be more revolutionary than it really is. Honesty in news delivery is the same as honesty in press release delivery; it’s always the best policy.

How do you get young, skeptical readers to believe your stories? Leave your ideas in the comments below.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/06/26/college-students-care-about-accurate-news/feed/0Weekly College News Roundup: Santa Monica College Shooting & New Opportunities for Afghan Studenthttp://uwire.com/2013/06/14/weekly-college-news-roundup-santa-monica-college-shooting-new-opportunities-for-potential-afghan-students/
http://uwire.com/2013/06/14/weekly-college-news-roundup-santa-monica-college-shooting-new-opportunities-for-potential-afghan-students/#commentsFri, 14 Jun 2013 12:04:30 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=167836The past week brought tragedy and remembrance to one college campus in California and hope for a student coming to Vermont. Read on for this week’s top college headlines.

“The assault-style rifle used by a Santa Monica gunman to kill five people last week appears to have been put together using component parts… the semi-automatic weapon appears to have been built with parts that are legal to obtain, but put together make the rifle illegal in California.

“[The gunman]‘s last reported contact with law enforcement was seven years ago when bomb-making materials were found at his house during a search prompted by threats to students, teachers and campus police officers at Olympic High…” – CBS News

The deadly incident brings the total number of school-related shootings in America to at least 12.

Afghani Civil Rights Activist Gets Help From US Students

#World

Ali Shahidy has been actively involved in furthering civil rights in his home country of Afghanistan, and with only $8500 remaining for his tuition, students at Norwich University in Vermont are helping him reach his goal.

“While his family struggled to get by, Shahidy found a way to excel at school. He fashioned notebooks out of posters and flyers from political campaigns. When electricity to their home was shut down every night at 10 p.m., he literally burned the midnight oil – doing homework by the light of a lamp. When he became the first member of his family to graduate high school, he was near the top of his class.” – Fox News

Ali’s inspiring story is the kind of thing that Afghanistan needs. After decades of war, the country is on the verge of independence as American troops prepare to withdraw in 2014.

100 Pounds of Marijuana Found Near Nothwestern’s Chicago Campus

#Crime

“On Saturday afternoon, a resident called police after discovering “suspicious items” in a recycling container in the 1000 block of Brown Avenue, police said. When officers looked inside the 50-gallon container, they found nine packaged blocks of marijuana having a total weight of approximately 100 pounds and a street value of more than $100,000.” – The Chicago Tribune

The investigation into who left the pot there and why is still ongoing, but police are certain that this find will put a strain on the marijuana trade near Northwestern’s campus.

“You need to be your own boss. Figure out when things need to be done and do them, week by week. The professor or teaching assistant might remind the class when the exam is or when the paper is due, but no one will contact you when you have missed the test or have not handed in the paper.” – The New York Times Choice Blog

Unlike most social networks, Reddit isn’t simply a distribution platform for journalists and bloggers. It has the amazing ability to actually “create” news, and that makes it well-worth your time as a PR professional.

How Blogs are Using Reddit

Since I started “redditing” a couple years ago, I’ve seen an increasing number of blogs and mainstream news sources pick up stories from the social network. For example, this post on Reddit of Kevin Spacey photobombing a young woman made it to the front page on April 30th. The very same day, someone from BuzzFeed posted the photo with the headline, “Kevin Spacey’s Awesome Photobomb.” Not exactly hard-hitting reporting, but it is BuzzFeed after all.

The Good

The strange thing about this social-first approach is that most social networks seem to be built for sharing content after it has been created. Twitter might be an exception, but with only 140 characters, you really have to post links to get any substantive stories out there. I for one think that news being created, discussed, and shared on social networks before it hits mainstream media isn’t a bad thing. It’s more democratic, and while it might not work for every kind of news story, it gets the community involved in shaping stories, and takes more of the power away from a seemingly-elite group of newsroom journalists at the top.

The Bad

Of course, there are issues with taking a job previously done by a trained reporter and putting it in the hands of the crowd. One example of this system failing occurred during the Boston Bombings. Redditors created and spread a lot of false rumors that took off without much real evidence. There have also been complaints of sexism, discrimination, and a generally chauvinist attitude, so if you do keep up with the trends on Reddit, you have to keep in mind that not everything you read is true and the viewpoints you’re getting are likely skewed.

The Takeaway

Despite it’s shortcomings, Reddit can be a great place for getting stories or press releases out there in an unconventional way. Use the proper subreddits, answer questions from the crowd, or just start listening and commenting. You’ll pretty quickly see how powerful the network can be. For more tips on using Reddit as a PR tool, check out this post on PRDaily.com.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/06/12/reddit-beginning-to-define-whats-press-worthy/feed/0Weekly College News Roundup: Harry Potter Fans in Providence Get Good News, Student Loan Regulators Don’thttp://uwire.com/2013/06/07/weekly-college-news-roundup-harry-potter-fans-in-providence-get-good-news-student-loan-regulators-dont/
http://uwire.com/2013/06/07/weekly-college-news-roundup-harry-potter-fans-in-providence-get-good-news-student-loan-regulators-dont/#commentsFri, 07 Jun 2013 13:58:51 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=167433Young men at Brown University in Rhode Island are getting some pretty exciting news this week, and the education department admits that they might have given away a few hundred million dollars more than they had to this year. Read on for this week’s biggest college news headlines.

Harry Potter Starlet to Return to Classes at Brown

#Entertainment

It looks like Emma Watson will be back in school this fall. According to BroBible:

“Watson originally enrolled in the school back in 2009, then took time off in 2011 for Hermoine-related responsibilities. She’s currently taking a class at NYU, and now needs a few more credits to get a degree.”

So what is the former Harry Potter turned sex-symbol studying? History according to FanPop.

Ohio State’s Charismatic and Quirky President to Retire

#Local

After making some jokes about rival sports teams that didn’t sit well with critics, President Gee will be leaving the university that he has done so much for over the past several years. According to CollegeSpun:

“Gee’s seemingly-forced retirement comes down to the spotlight that Ohio State football draws in the national media. Gee’s retirement won’t really have an effect on that football team, but it will have a huge effect on the institution. The media seems to forget that Ohio State is actually a school, not just an athletic program.”

With a long and proud career behind him, we’ll just hope this minor gaffe at the end doesn’t change the way he’s remembered.

Another Side to the Student Loan Debacle

#Politics

As student loan debt continues to gain front-page attention, there’s another number that’s steadily increasing and worth watching: student loan fraud. According to the Huffington Post:

“The Education Department’s watchdog says the number of college students who are suspected of engaging in loan fraud has increased 82 percent … [and] estimates the government issued $874 million in suspected fraudulent student loans since 2009.”

Boston, Seattle, and Denver Top the List for Best Cities for Recent College Graduates

#Lifestyle

The class of 2013 faces a tough, but slowly improving economy. This week, NerdWallet put together a comprehensive list of the best post-college towns for the class of 2013. Their criteria included the following questions:

Will you have peers and others your age? Fresh grads want to live in young cities with plenty of twenty-somethings to meet. We included the percentage of the population between the ages of 18 and 24 in our analysis.

Will you have an active social life? We proxied social life by the number of bars per 1,000 residents

Is the city walkable? Can you live there without a car? Most recent grads don’t have cars or savings to buy a car, so we included the city’s Walk Score, which measures how easily you can get around without having a car.

Can you afford to live there? Recent grads often have low salaries and no savings, so we included the median cost of rent.

Can you get a job? To assess the availability of jobs and local economy, our calculations include each city’s unemployment rate.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/06/07/weekly-college-news-roundup-harry-potter-fans-in-providence-get-good-news-student-loan-regulators-dont/feed/0Using Multimedia in Your Press Releasehttp://uwire.com/2013/06/06/using-multimedia-in-your-press-release/
http://uwire.com/2013/06/06/using-multimedia-in-your-press-release/#commentsThu, 06 Jun 2013 16:12:23 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=167426Let’s be honest, nobody likes plodding through a massive wall of text. According to some surveys, viewers may be up to 85% more likely to buy your product if you simply show them a video. While there’s no way to guarantee that your press release will be a big hit, including one of the following forms of rich media can certainly help. Here are some quick tips for using media to enrich your release:

1. Video

With the explosion of video sharing platforms like YouTube and Vine, some brands are achieving a lot of success by getting out to consumers and journalists through digital video. It’s getting surprisingly easy to record and share videos online, so if you aren’t including videos (or links to them) in your press releases you’re missing out on a big opportunity.

2. Audio

As podcasts become increasingly popular, companies are finding the new form of online radio to be an excellent way to reach listeners. Whether this means starting your own podcast and linking to it in your release or referring to another podcast that helps make your message more clear, it’s definitely worth including some form of audio information for your readers.

3. Photos

It should be obvious by now, but good press releases, blog posts, and marketing materials have to include some form of attention grabbing image. You’ll notice that we don’t add anything to our College Media Blog here on UWIRE without posting an image, and there’s a reason for it.

4. Infographics 2.0

You might think that by now infographics are a bit overdone. So many of them seem to be cheap novelties that you might be telling yourself that it’s time to move on to something better. Well, that something better might be coming sooner than you think. In 2013, you can expect to see more interesting and interactive infographic designs that take advantage of real-time data as well as advances in HTML5. Check out Prezi or Infogram if you’re interested in creating your own.

What multimedia elements have you found to be helpful in your press releases? Would you prefer to use a PR Distribution company that allows rich media? Let me hear your take in the comments below.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/06/06/using-multimedia-in-your-press-release/feed/0The Top 20 Most Popular College Blogs of 2013http://uwire.com/2013/06/03/the-top-20-most-popular-college-blogs/
http://uwire.com/2013/06/03/the-top-20-most-popular-college-blogs/#commentsMon, 03 Jun 2013 14:55:04 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=166878Keeping up with the latest trends on college campuses can be tough for public relations professionals. Even more challenging is navigating the hundreds of different college news sources and blogs out there. Fortunately, we make it our business to know the most popular and trafficked college blogs on the web. As of June 2013, here are the most popular college blogs in 2013:

Part blog and part news magazine, Bro Bible is definitely geared towards male humor. They feature news, funny videos, and racey photos of good looking women. It isn’t all that professional, but they do a good job mixing aggregated and unique content.

The college arm of one of the web’s most popular sites, HuffPo College does a great job bringing together news, opinion, and expert advice from sources around the web. Much like most popular sites on this list, their focus is as much on aggregation as it is on original content creation.

Claiming to be “the voice of Generation-Y” may be a bold statement, but as the internet’s third most popular college blog, it might not be far off. Elite Daily balances humor, inspiration, and current events on their site, and also aggregates snippets of articles from other sources from time to time.

A part of Alloy Digital’s network of blogs, The Gloss focuses on fashion and beauty tips as well as celebrity news and gossip. As they say on their site, “Our readers are motivated, informed 20-somethings who hop from the gym to the office to happy hour without batting an eye,” making The Gloss the most popular college blog geared towards women.

With the best sports news and photos of sexy women, it’s no surprise that Busted Coverage performs well within the college male demographic. Their content is also a blend of aggregation and unique stories.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/06/03/the-top-20-most-popular-college-blogs/feed/8Writing a College Press Release Title That Grabs Their Attentionhttp://uwire.com/2013/05/30/writing-a-college-press-release-title-that-grabs-their-attention/
http://uwire.com/2013/05/30/writing-a-college-press-release-title-that-grabs-their-attention/#commentsThu, 30 May 2013 13:27:23 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=166616Even experienced public relations professionals may struggle when trying to connect with younger readers. College students are a special case; they’re smart, social, and very savvy to “trickery,” which makes it even tougher to connect with them through a press release. That said, they are curious and often willing to try new products or services if the value proposition makes sense. Here are four tips for writing college press release titles:

1. Put Yourself in College Students’ Shoes

First of all, think about the things that a college student needs:

Food

Money

Grades

Friends

If your product or service relates to improving any of the above areas of the student’s life, you’ve got a potential winner. The challenge now is to offer it clearly and succinctly.

2. Get to the Point

Students are busy. Between classes, seeing friends, keeping up with their favorite TV shows, working, and trying to stay in shape, they are constantly browsing the internet for interesting tidbits of information. The problem is that they don’t spend much time with any one source, so you’ve got to hit them quickly and often if you want to get noticed. The title of your release should be short (one sentence or less), and it should tell the reader what you’re offering and why it appeals to one of the above “college student needs.”

3. Don’t Demean or Deceive

A title is like a promise, so it’s really only half the battle when writing your press release. Even if you have a very appealing title for your college press release, it won’t mean a thing if the content in your release doesn’t measure up. College students are constantly bombarded with ads and the increasing number of deceptive marketers out there tends to make them wary. It helps if you include some social proof in either your release title or content.

4. Think about Share-ability

Social media is the channel of this generation. Newspapers, blogs, and even search engines are continually being set aside as students spend more time sharing and consuming media on social networks. For press releases, this means that your title has to be “click-worthy,” and “share-worthy.” Here are some great things to consider (via Moz.com):

“Assuming all other factors neutral for the moment, let’s look at what I think are 7 most important ingredients of your titles;

Curiosity

Benefit

Emotion

Tangible

Appearance

Sound

Expectation”

Do you have your own tips for writing college press release titles? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/05/30/writing-a-college-press-release-title-that-grabs-their-attention/feed/1Are College Students Growing Wise to Abercrombie?http://uwire.com/2013/05/15/are-college-students-growing-wise-to-abercrombie/
http://uwire.com/2013/05/15/are-college-students-growing-wise-to-abercrombie/#commentsWed, 15 May 2013 15:43:28 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=165654I remember back in high school – and to a lesser extent college – all the cool kids wore the right name brands, and Abercrombie & Fitch was definitely one of them.

By my third or fourth year in college I had worked some internships, had some “real” jobs, and most of my classmates were started to dress a little less like college kids. By this point, Abercrombie’s allure was fading fast. Now that I’m out of the college environment I almost never see the brand’s trademark chest logos and moose insignia, and I’m definitely not in a hurry to make a stop in the overly loud and pungent store.

So, for a brand that has a very narrow demographic (older high school kids and younger college students), some degree of exclusivity might be a good thing. Still, not many people are impressed with CEO Mike Jeffries’ comments about Abercrombie not being for everyone – specifically people who are overweight.

Exclusive isn’t bad, saying stupid things is.

Plenty of designer labels don’t make sizes over a certain threshold, so Abercrombie’s choice to stop serving customers who wear more than a size 10 isn’t that strange. The part that is damning for the company are Jeffries’ comments. Specifically:

“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”

While I’m sure plenty of snobby, designer brands say this kind of thing behind closed doors, you aren’t going to win many new fans saying stuff like this in public. Just a few days after Jeffries’ comments started getting press, the outrage and mockery began. One man began handing used Abercrombie clothing out to homeless people, and plenty others have voiced their disgust on social networks.

So, are students going to toss out the Abercrombie brand anytime soon? Maybe not, but either way, this should serve as a good reminder that some marketing strategies are best kept internal.

]]>http://uwire.com/2013/05/15/are-college-students-growing-wise-to-abercrombie/feed/0Reaching College Students Through Press Releaseshttp://uwire.com/2013/05/09/reaching-college-students-through-press-releases/
http://uwire.com/2013/05/09/reaching-college-students-through-press-releases/#commentsThu, 09 May 2013 13:08:02 +0000Karl Hugheshttp://uwire.com/?p=165192College students are an important market for advertisers and public relations professionals. They are forming habits and relationships with brands that will continue throughout their lives, and even though many of them are relatively poor now, they’re likely to make more than $1 million more than those who stop their education at high school.

Because college students are such a highly sought demographic, they tend to get bombarded with ads almost all the time. It’s difficult to walk around a major college campus without seeing dozens of posters, banners, promoters, and coupons attempting to lure college students into giving their brand a shot.

Getting a story in just two or three major college newspapers or a couple college blogs can be an invaluable way to create a buzz around your product or service. Plus, with the advent of the internet, your message that starts at one school can easily spread its way virally around the world. It’s easy to see the advantages to getting a story published, but the better question is how can you do it?

Getting Student Journalists to Read Your Release

There are a few things that you can do to instantly boost the credibility of your release, whether you’re using UWIRE or a similar press release service:

1. Use a trusted source – Sending a release from your company or personal email address can work, especially if you’re just trying to reach a few college campuses. Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to reach hundreds of campuses quickly unless you have an established relationship to begin with. Sending your release from a trusted source will ensure that

2. Be genuine – One of the biggest mistakes we see in press releases for students is a lack of honesty. You’re a real person writing a release to reach other real people, right? Treat them as such.

3. Offer links, quotes, and follow-up information – Sending a release that leaves the reader with more questions than answers is probably a bad idea. While good journalists will certainly double-check any information you include in your release, they appreciate being given as complete of a picture as possible.

4. Don’t forget online news – With over half of students using a smartphone every day and nearly all of them in possession of a personal computer or laptop, it’s hard to deny the role of online media in their daily lives. If you only get in front of print journalists, you’re missing a massive share of the market for student written news.

If you’re a PR professional who’s had success reaching students, we’d love to hear your story! Just email info@uwire.com for details.